The Pirates traded JT Brubaker at the start of this season, eventually receiving 20-year-old infielder Keiner Delgado as the player to be named later from the New York Yankees. Early in his Pirates career, Delgado has looked impressive.
His first stop was for a single game in the FCL, where he went 2-for-5 with a home run. Delgado hit .293/.414/.485 in the FCL last year with the Yankees, so the immediate success at that level wasn’t a surprise. The Pirates moved him across town, giving him the bump to Single-A Bradenton after that single game in the FCL.
Delgado has gone 3-for-13 in his three games with the Marauders, hitting two home runs. He went 2-for-5 with a homer on Thursday night, giving him three in four games since joining the system. I wouldn’t see this as more than an encouraging hot start, but Delgado is a top 30 sleeper in this system, and it’s good to see this immediate hitting after the trade.
PIRATES PROSPECT WATCH
INDIANAPOLIS won 9-6.
- 2B Ji Hwan Bae went 2-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs.
- DH Malcom Nunez went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
- CF Billy McKinney went 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs.
- LF Canaan-Smith Njigba went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base.
- 3B Andres Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
ALTOONA lost 7-4.
- RHP Po-Yu Chen allowed one run on four hits in six innings, with a walk and three strikeouts.
- LF Dustin Peterson went 2-for-4 with a run and a double.
- RF Tres Gonzales went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
- SS-2B Tsung-Che Cheng went 0-for-4 with an RBI, and stole a base.
- DH Connor Scott went 1-for-4 with a run.
GREENSBORO lost 6-3 in game one of their double header.
- RHP J.P. Massey pitched four innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on three hits and two walks. He struck out four.
- CF P.J. Hilson went 2-for-3 with a triple.
- 3B Maikol Escotto went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
- C Geovanny Planchart went 2-for-3 with a run.
- RF Hudson Head went 1-for-3.
GREENSBORO lost game two 8-7.
- 1B Nick Cimillo went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.
- LF Hudson Head went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
- 3B Charles McAdoo went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
- SS Jack Brannigan went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- LHP Luis Peralta pitched two shutout innings, allowing three hits, no walks, and striking out four.
BRADENTON won 8-3, led by four home runs, including one from Keiner Delgado.
- C Omar Alfonzo went 2-for-3, hitting his second homer of the year, and drawing a walk.
- LF Esmerlyn Valdez went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.
- DH Solomon Maguire went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.
- RHP Carlson Reed allowed two runs in five innings, with three hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts.
- RF Joshua Palacios went 2-for-4 with a double in a rehab game.
FCL PIRATES won 6-1.
- 2B Carlos Caro went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
- C Richard Ramirez went 2-for-2 with a walk.
- 1B Axiel Plaz went 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs.
- RF Jhonson Pena went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases.
- RHP David Matoma pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one walk, one hit, and striking out three.
STATCAST HEROES
LHP Geronimo Franzua pitched three shutout innings at the start of the game, picking up nine whiffs, with five on eight swings from his slider. STATS
The hardest hit home run of the night for Bradenton was 103.2 MPH by Esmerlyn Valdez. The longest home run came from Omar Alfonzo, traveling 402 feet. STATS
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
- Triple-A: Indianapolis, 7:15 PM – TBD
- Double-A: Altoona, 6:00 PM – RHP Drake Fellows (0-0, 2.25)
- High-A: Greensboro, 7:35 PM – TBD
- Single-A: Bradenton, 6:30 PM – LHP Michael Kennedy (1-1, 3.13)
- Rookie: FCL Pirates, 12:00 PM – TBD
